1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a host computer and a peripheral apparatus used in an information processing system, in which at least one host computer is connected with a plurality of peripheral apparatuses through a network. More particularly, it relates to a host computer which performs an optimum drive control in accordance with a status of each peripheral apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
Up to this time, an information processing system, in which a host computer is connected with peripherals, such as printers and the like, has previously incorporated peripheral driver software into the computer side for driving the peripherals using the driver software.
In such an information processing system, however, the computer is required to prepare respective driver software unique to the respective peripherals to be connected, therefore, particularly when adding a new peripheral device to the network, the corresponding driver software must be newly implemented on the host computer for running the new peripheral device. The setting operation is very complicated, and this has caused a problem in that most common users cannot utilize such a driver software but must employ a specialist. There has been also another problem in that the full performance of the device may not be drawn forth depending upon how skillfully the new software is prepared and installed.
In addition, still another problem has arisen in that, after executing initialization of the driver software for driving the corresponding peripheral, even if the power supply of the peripheral has been shut off, or the peripheral has been unable to be used due to printer toner or ink running out, the corresponding driver software will attempt to make the peripheral run without knowing of its unavailability, and waste time.
For this reason, e.g., in the case of a printer, print data can be wastefully stored in a valuable storage device one after another without execution of printing.
Also, in the case that a plurality of printing devices have been connected by a network, a printer from which prints shall be outputted is selected by designating the printing device name or its registered name on the host computer, so that the following inconvenience can occur.
Far too few users know performance of the printer well enough to set all kinds of parameters for printer drive software to optimum values.
Since the designation of printer is decided by the initialization of the host computer or the printer drive software, irrespective of user's purpose or starling state of the printer, the print outputs are centered at the designated printer in spite of a plurality of usable printers being connected, and this causes low printing efficiency.
As mentioned above, since network resources can not be put to practical use effectively, there has arisen still another problem in that the system efficiency of the network system is lowered.